Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-02-01
FOR the otroHD DEMOCRAT
FRONTIER HOUSES.


igra,e 10 the far West. have been able
TO make themselves quite comfor,sbls
houses in various ways.
Tents ate much u,ed for temporary
houses. a grassy shaded 'po, being eho''
en- near some river. or stream OF water.
A.,hmAlic. often live Ia tents. n they
can quickly remove from oae place TO
another until they discover a place best
suited 70 them. A man with this ,roa-
ble.ome disease. tented in quis, town
In Colorado all one summer, unused by
hi, wife he became assured iha, the
climate ga, beneficial. and abandoned
hi. ten, he and established himself In
business
The sione house and log cabin are OF
ten found Ia the western states aud ter
r,o,ies beyond the Mississippi but the
adobe. dugou, and sod houses are more
di,,ine,ivsly Jdr ire'ieln than these.
The comparatively rAinle.s character Of
the oolniry make. !, possible for these
earthly house. 10 be hAbiAble.
The dugoui requires the least time to
construct. perhaps. A small room OF
cellar /, dug ia the ground aud steps are
carved IN the ground leading dosn to
l.. A rude covering Of pole, and straw.
OF boards. II they can be obtained. COM
ple,s, the structure. A ten, cloth serves
=. temporary door a, the bottom ofihe
steps. Nothing !, visible above ground
bat the roof. with q stove pipe at one
corner fof chimney. While speeding
over the loag stretch Of country between
Kan,n City and Denver. ten years ago.
ihi, rude abode va, Amoag the slrpri'e'
constantly occurring TO the iendsr'fooi.
Some years after bad the pleasure OF
seeing the interior Of dugoai. IL was
occupied by a man and his wife, people
Of culture. had expected 20 hnd the
little home neat, but was no. prepared
70, the dain,ine. which the frs, glance
revealed 10 me. The walls were covered
with white muslin perhaps ! have no,
made apparent the fact that the walls Of
earth we're perpendicular and remained
20, the nature Of the soil being hard,
hence there was no looseniag earth TO
rattle down. The bed stood IN one cor
nsr. IT, eo.ins., being only half revealed
by the drapsd curtains Of white hanging
from the ceiling aud kno,,ed back with
bright ribbons The bureau And COM
node were marvel. Of neatnes.. with
white muslin and knots Of ribbon for
covers. and dry goods boxes ior iounda'
ti1n.. The bright stove And new TN
ware conveniently nsn-of course every
,hing must De near ia % small place
the eArps,sd hoor aud easy chair. gave
one such feeling Of comfort Aad rest
,h., could hardly believe that | "a.
oaly sitting Ia hole in the ground. and
| ,all 10 myself. "whAi are marblsd
halls, millions Of money and di'ifAci-
iag servants compared to the perfect Out
ei And freedom from the worlds m'-
mOil. that ,hi, little as,, affords : Thee
house, arc only 'een. nov oeea'ion.lly'
and are occupied by hsrdsr' and lone
rAnehmen.
Nov and then a sol house !. seen IL
waa my good fortune TO vi,i, one a fe~
day.aso IL vas built twenty years
ago OF more and IL ,,ill occupied. The
Indians were frequent visitors TO u Whine
1, va, hr, made. The interior n very
neat And home.lke. Children play
Aboa, the door. hne flock Of turkeys
bad gone to roo., ia the great eoioa.
woods near by. and a large herd OF dai'
~ ooss occupied the ,od sheds aud cor.
raj. jus, back Of the house. II nA long
narov building with Eve or 'iI rooms.
The wall, are three feet thick. ani made
Of cod. ca, from the bottom land. The
.od WAS turned bottom up aud the
ble.ehed roots Of yras. ATE It'll visible In
the dried surface Of the house. The
elAyey soil has become 30 hardened da'-
ing these twenty years Of drying ,hA, II
/. difficult TO insert the point Of a Pln.
it, mistress, al intelligent housewife
LEI. her sod lone aud went to live IN The
,own near by, ior one winter, TO give her
children better opportunity TO attend
school, and she assured me that she Was
glad TO se, back to IL, warm shelter be.
fore the next winter. The thick walls
render !, very cool ia summer. one
window served TO ligh, two rooms, and
yeaula,ion was secured 10 the sleeping
rooms. by FOO, square opening near
the top Of the room.
Adobe houses ate also built by ifon-
tier men. The clay soil Is mixed with
water and the mixture placed in wooden
moulds, then taken out TO harden. The
ho, sun soon drie, these bricks. and they
are then laid up with mud mortar and
.moo,hed carefully on the outside. The
few storms that yi.i, the country wash
the surface. some leaving the gravel
stone. prominent.
The adobe wall, Of old FI. Lupion
were laid .ix or eigh, feet thick. When
these walls were torn down . few years
ago. antelope and deerrAeks wree found
imprinted in the bricks, showing how
these animals rolmed, not only over the
plains, bu, over these huge bricks As
they were dryins ia the sun sixty years
- MRs u. HOWARD.